Lunch-box.



D. J. CRAIG.

LUNCH BOX. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1909.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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LUNCH BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 28, 1909.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

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SATES DAVID J. CRAIG. OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII. v l

LUNCH-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Application filed December 28, 1909. Serial No. 535,336.

1'0 all Q0710?! it may concern,

Be it known that I, DAVID J. CRAIG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Honomcnts, one removably seated within the other, and the compartments being so arranged and connected that the aroma of the food within one of the compartments cannot escape therefrom and impregnate the food Within the remaining compartments.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having its lowest compartment provided with a rem0vable heating device, the said compartment being also provided with a plurality of openings and means for closing the same, whereby the heating device within the said compartment may be lighted and the draft thereof regulated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of cylindrical compartments, each having annular offset flanges, adapted to contact one with the other so as to retain the said compartments in position upon each other, the said compartments being also provided with offset bails upon their opposite sides adapted for the reception of a pair of resilient arms formed upon each side of a suitable handle, each pair of arms having their ends oifset so as to engage the lowermost eyes, and the said arms being free to slide through all of the eyes so that the compartments may be readily separated from each other when desired.

With the above, and other objects in View, which will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in the novel construction and arrangement of elements hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a dinner pail constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the device. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the lower compartment.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral l designates the dinner pail proper.

This pail, in the present instance, comprises a plurality of compartments, four being shown in the drawings and designated by the numerals 2, 3, 4 and 5. As illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, each of the compartments is preferably circular in cross section and the lowest compartment 2, which may be termed the heating compartment, has its side provided with a plurality of openings 6 and its outer face provided with an annular ring 7 also provided with openings 8 coinciding with the openings 6 of the compartment 2. The compartment 2 is provided adjacent its lower wall with an annular bead or flange 9 upon which the ring 7 rests and the said compartment is also provided with a vertically arranged bail or offset member 10 which is adapted to be contacted by a handle 11 provided upon the annular ring 7 so as to limit the rotary movement of the said ring in one direction, and to normally close the openings 6 provided by the said compartment 2. The compartment 2 is centrally provided with a plurality of spaced L-shaped members 12 and the said members are adapted to serve as means for contacting the offset pintles 13 provided upon a suitable burner 14 of any desired pattern or make and it will be noted that by merely rotating the said burner 14 the ofiset members 13 engage the L-shaped members 12, thus effectively and securely retaining the burner within the compartment 2. The upper edge of the compartment 2 is provided with a flange 15 which is adapted to be contacted by an annular bead 16 provided upon the compartment 3. The compartments 3 and 1 are likewise provided with lips or flanges 17 and 18 upon their open months which are adapted to be contacted by suitable offsets 19 and 20, the latter being carried by the compartment 5. The compartments 3 and 4 are adapted for the reception of solids while the compartment 5 is adapted for the reception of a liquid, such as coffee or other beverages and the said compartment has its upper face centrally provided with a. threaded collar 21 which is adapted to engage a similar collar 22 provided upon a cap 23. The cap 23 is of a cross sectional contour corresponding with that of a suitable cup 24 with which it is adapted to engage and to retain the said cup in position upon the pail.

Each of the compartments 2, 3, 4 and 5 is provided upon its diametrically opposite faces with suitable eyes 25, 26, 27 and 28, and through these eyes are adapted to be inserted the side arms 29 of a handle 30. The handle 30 is constructed of two strands of wire of a suitable resiliency and after the said strands have been twisted upon themselves to provide the handle proper the depending side arms are projected in a straight direction and are each ofiset at their ends to form hooks as designated by the numeral 81 and these offset ends are adapted to engage in one of the eyes provided upon the compartments. By this arrangement, it will be noted that by compressing or forcing the strands forming the side arms 29 of the handle 30 together, the ofi'sets 31 will be disengaged from the bails and the said arms withdrawn from the said. bails and may be brought into contact with any of the re maining bails of the series of compartments.

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that I have provided an eX- tremely simple and effective dinner pail wherein either solids or liquids may be retained at a desired heat, and it will be further noted that should the food in any one of the compartments require additional heating the said compartment may be placed over the burner 14c within the compartment 2 as desired.

It will be noted that the bails 25, 26, 27 and 28 decrease in width from the bottom bail to the top bail 2S and that the spread arms 29 of the handle member contact and engage each of the sides of the bails. The pressure of the said resilient arms 29 is sutficient at all times to firmly brace against each of the bails so as to prevent the rotation: of one of the compartments in relation it any of the other compartments and which also serve to prevent the accidental upward movement of any of the compartments.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is 1. In a lunch box, a series of interfitting compartments having outwardly projecting eyes, said eyes decreasing in size from the lower compartment to the upper compartment, and a handle member having diverging depending arms on each side thereof formed of resilient material adapted to extend through the eyes and provided with terminal hooks adapted to engage the lowermost eyes to hold said compartments in snug contact engagement.

2. In a lunch box, a heater compartment having openings in its wall, a ring rotatable on said compartment and having openings adapted to aline with the first of these, a

U-shaped handle secured to said compartment and bridging the ring, and a U-shaped handle secured to the ring and adapted to engage the first U-shaped handle.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DAVID J. CRAIG. Witnesses RUFUS PIOKETT, HERBERT E. K. MUNDON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of latents, Washington, .D. G. 

